Bladder and Kidney Cancer Roadshow Visits West Midlands

A Be Clear on Cancer roadshow is set to begin a tour of the West Midlands next week to highlight the key symptoms of bladder and kidney cancers.

Figures show that, in 2010, a total of 1,744 people in the West Midlands were diagnosed with kidney or bladder cancer, with 839 people in the region dying of the diseases.

The roadshow events, part of a national campaign, aim to drive awareness of blood in pee – even if it appears just the once – as a key symptom of bladder and kidney cancers, and to encourage those who notice the symptom to visit their GP.

Blood in pee could be a symptom of both cancers. However, a recent survey shows that the public don’t recognise the seriousness of the sign. Thirty per cent of the people surveyed in the West Midlands would wait to see if they spotted blood in their pee again before taking any action – something that could delay their diagnosis.

Early diagnosis is crucial to saving lives but not enough people are diagnosed at an early stage. When diagnosed at the earliest stage, one-year survival for bladder and kidney cancers is as high as 92-97 per cent. Yet at a late stage, this drops to just 25-34 per cent.

Roadshow Dates

The Be Clear on Cancer roadshow will be visiting shopping centres across England over the next five weeks and will be stopping at the following locations in the West Midlands:

At each of the Be Clear on Cancer events a nurse will be on hand to talk in more depth with anyone who has questions about bladder and kidney cancers, and to give advice on visiting their GP.

Dr Lola Abudu, consultant for Health and Wellbeing at Public Health England West Midlands, said: “The figures from the West Midlands show that more needs to be done to raise awareness of blood in pee as a key symptom of bladder and kidney cancers.

“Early diagnosis is key to saving lives. Increasing awareness of potential symptoms, and encouraging people to visit their doctor sooner rather than later, will help reduce the number of people dying in the region each year. The message is a simple but effective one - if you notice blood in your pee, even if it appears just the once, tell your GP.”

For more information on bladder and kidney cancer visit nhs.uk/bloodinpee.